Increasing demand for sheep’s milk in Greece, driven by utilization in Feta cheese production, has led to intensified sheep farming, which, in turn, is related to higher prevalence of udder disorder cases, including mastitis. While udder health is a critical determinant of milk yield and quality and of major concern for livestock producers, mastitis remains a principal threat to mammary gland health in small ruminants. At the same time, increasing demand for antibiotic-free livestock products underscores the need for innovative, safe, and effective practices.

Maintaining udder health during the dry period is a key preventive strategy against mastitis. Even though application of teat sealants applied in dairy cows during dry period has demonstrated efficacy in preventing new intramammary infections, comparable solutions for small ruminants are still limited. Most of commercial formulations currently available for intramammary use, consist of bismuth subnitrate dispersions in paraffin oil, often supplemented with nanoparticles, antimicrobial agents, or antibiotics. The presence of those substances in milk is not acceptable, resulting in large amounts of milk to be discarded before milking for avoiding presence of such substance residues in milk. This practice poses significant challenges in small ruminant husbandry, where in addition, immediate neonatal access to colostrum is essential. Consequently, there is a critical need for novel, economically viable, and safe practices that ensure udder health while remaining compatible with neonatal feeding.

Objectives of the Mastin Project:

1. Development of Edible Intramammary Formulations: To establish an innovative formulation system of intramammary teat duct sealants, to be safely ingested by neonates without prior withdrawal of milk. This system could serve as a carrier for edible antimicrobial agents, locally acting immunostimulants and tissue-healing components supporting udder health.
2. Characterization and Optimization of Formulations: To develop and characterize such novel formulations, evaluating new ingredients for intramammary applications. This will include the creation of a comprehensive database of materials that can be combined into products tailored to specific production or market requirements.
3. Phenotypic and In Vivo Assessment: To study phenotypic traits for assessing sheep productivity and suitability and conduct in vivo evaluation of the formulations for their effects on udder health, mastitis prevention and management.
4. Scale-Up Production: To design and implement semi-industrial scale production protocols for the developed formulations.
5. Feasibility and Techno-Economic Evaluation: To perform feasibility studies and techno-economic assessments to evaluate the commercial viability of the developed products.
6. Market Analysis and Commercialization: To assess market acceptance, conduct market research, and identify potential commercial channels and sales strategies for the introduction of these innovative edible intramammary products.

This effort is a collaborative initiative between the Animal Husbandry Laboratory and the Clinic of Production Animals, Department of Veterinary Medicine, and the Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology, Department of Pharmacy, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) and Pharmacell S.A.